Raspberry Jam eBook

“Go ahead, then, fair lady; but remember that
Sanford Embury stands for the conservative element
in our club, and anything you might try to do by virtue
of your blandishments or fascinations would be frowned
upon and would react against your cause instead of
for it. If I might suggest, my supporters, the
younger set, the—­well—­the gayer
set, would more readily respond to such a plan.
Why don’t you electioneer for me?”

Eunice disdained to reply, and Aunt Abby broke into
the discussion by exclaiming: “Oh, Alvord,
here comes Mr. Mortimer, and he has Mr. Hanlon with
him!”

Sure enough the two heroes of the day were walking
toward the Hendricks car, which, still standing near
the scene of Hanlon’s triumph, awaited a good
chance for a getaway.

“I wonder if you ladies wouldn’t like
to meet this marvel,” began Mr. Mortimer, genially,
and Aunt Abby’s delight was convincing, indeed.

Eunice, too, greeted Mr. Hanlon cordially, and Hendricks
held out a welcoming hand.

“Tell us how you did it,” he said, smiling
into the intelligent face of the mysterious “mind-reader.”

“You saw,” he returned, simply, with a
slight gesture of out-turned palms, as if to disavow
any secrets.

“Yes, I saw,” said Hendricks, “but
with me, seeing is not believing.”

“Don’t listen, Hanlon,” Mr. Mortimer
said, smiling a little resentfully. “That
sort of talk would go before the test, but not now.
What do you mean, Hendricks, by not believing?
Do you suspect me of complicity?”

“I do not, Mortimer. I believe you have
been taken in with the rest, by a very clever trick.”
He looked sharply at Hanlon, who returned his gaze
serenely. “I believe this young man is
unusually apt as a trickster, and I believe he hoodwinked
the whole community. The fact that I cannot
comprehend, or even guess how he did it, in no way
disturbs my conviction that he did do it by trickery.
I will change this opinion, however, if Mr. Hanlon
will look me in the eye and assure me, on his honor,
that he found the penknife by no other means or with
no other influence to guide him than Mr. Mortimer’s
will-power.”

“I am not on trial,” he said. “I
am not called upon to prove or disprove anything.
I promised to perform a feat and I have done so.
It was not nominated in the bond that I should defend
my honor by asseverations.”

“Begging the question,” laughed Hendricks,
but Mr. Mortimer said: “Not at all.
Hanlon is right. If he has any secret means
of guidance, it is up to us to discover it.
But I hold that he cannot have, or it would have been
discovered by some of the eager observers. We
had thousands looking on to-day. There must
have been some one clever enough to suspect the deceit,
if deceit there were.”

“Thank you, Mr. Mortimer,” Hanlon spoke
quietly. “I made no mystery of my performance;
I had no confederate, no paraphernalia. All
there was to see could be seen by all. You willed
me; I followed your will. That is all.”